March 18, 2003

Gloria Steinem Comes To
The Arts & Issues Stage

As a feminist, writer, and co-founder of Ms. magazine, Gloria Steinem has embodied the idea of equal rights for women. Her voice and her ideas have shaped the direction women are moving today.

She will speak about "What You've Always Wanted to Know About Feminism and Been Afraid to Ask" as part of the SIUE Arts & Issues series at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Meridian Ballroom.

"SIUE is celebrating 'Women's History Month' in March, and it seemed logical for Arts & Issues to present a prominent figure from the women's movement," said John Peecher, assistant director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinator of the Arts & Issues series. "When I spoke with women on campus, the name that always topped their list of who they would like to hear speak was Gloria Steinem. It is exciting to have one of America's leading feminist voices of the late 20th century-and today-coming to SIUE to speak."

Gloria Steinem was born March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. After her parents' divorce, the young Steinem was left to care for both herself and her mother who suffered from chronic depression. Steinem won a scholarship to Smith College, from which she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in 1956. Upon her graduation, she won a fellowship for two years of study in India at the universities of Delhi and Calcutta.

While in India, Steinem became involved with the nonviolent protest movement, joining a group called the Radical Humanists to protest governmental policy in the bitterly divided southern region of India. She returned to the United States with a new awareness of social and political issues, especially those of wealth and poverty.

In 1960, Steinem began a career as a freelance writer and journalist in New York City. She earned both popular and critical notice with her 1963 article "I Was a Playboy Bunny," published in Show magazine. In that piece, Steinem recounted (often ironically) her three-week experience working undercover as a waitress in a New York Playboy Club and exposed the low wages and poor working conditions to which she and her fellow "bunnies" were subjected.

By the mid-1960s, Steinem had published a number of pieces in some of the country's leading publications and garnered a good deal of respect from her colleagues and readers for her incisive and witty reporting about celebrities and political figures alike.

Steinem joined the founding staff of New York magazine as a contributing editor in 1968. She began writing a column for the magazine, "City Politic," in which she voiced her support for a number of liberal causes. Soon, Steinem had become much more overtly political in her writing, especially after she attended a 1968 meeting of the Redstockings, a New York-based feminist group. At that time, the rise in female participation in both the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement had spurred a rebirth of the women's liberation movement, which had been dormant for some time.

Steinem embraced the new wave of feminists in the late 1960s, and became arguably the most articulate and outspoken leader of their cause. With Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, and Betty Friedan, Steinem formed the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971 to encourage active female participation in the 1972 presidential election. Steinem herself was extremely active in the election that year, arguing for an abortion plank to be included in the Democratic platform and protesting the lack of non-white and female delegates at the party's national convention in Miami.

Ms. magazine, of which Steinem was the founding editor, first appeared as an insert in the December 1971 issue of New York. Its premiere issue in January 1972 sold out, and circulation soon reached 500,000. Steinem served as editor for the next 15 years, then as a columnist, and from 1988 she has been a consulting editor.

In 1983, Steinem published her first book, a collection of her articles and essays: Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions. Three years later, she published Marilyn, a biography of the screen icon Marilyn Monroe from a feminist perspective, which many saw as an appropriately sympathetic and feminist answer to Norman Mailer's somewhat sensationalist 1973 biography of Monroe. Steinem's next book, Revolution from Within (1992), was a highly personal look at the way an individual's self-esteem affects and is impacted by society, and in 1994 she released a collection of essays, Moving Beyond Words.

In September 2000, Steinem was married for the first time, at the age of 66, to David Bale, a South African-born entrepreneur. The couple divides their time between New York and Bale's home base of Los Angeles.

Following Steinem's appearance on the 2002-2003 Arts & Issues series is the world-renowned 2003 Grammy Award-winning Takacs Quartet on March 27, for an evening of Haydn and Beethoven, and Helen Thomas-a fixture of the White House pressroom for more than 40 years-concludes the season on April 8, offering her "Wit and Wisdom From the Front Row at the White House."

Renowned Takács Quartet To Perform Here March 27

Recognized as one of the world's greatest string quartets, the Takács (tuh-KAHSCH) Quartet will perform an evening of Beethoven and Haydn on Thursday, March 27, as part of the Arts & Issues series. The 7:30 p.m. concert will be held in Dunham Hall theater.

"Our audience should be prepared for an extraordinary evening of chamber music," said John Peecher, assistant director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinator of the series. "The Takács Quartet has been acclaimed internationally, and they will be appearing here on campus fresh from their Grammy Award win last month."

The first volume of the quartet's Beethoven Cycle (middle quartets) received the Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Album 2002. Released in May of last year, "Beethoven: String Quartets (Razumovsky, Op. 59, 1-3; Harp, Op. 74)," also was named the Gramophone 2002 Chamber Music Recording of the Year, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album, the Chamber Music America/WQXR Record Award, and the Japan Record Academy Award for Chamber Music in 2002.

The Takács Quartet was formed by Gabor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz, Gabor Ormai, and András Fejér in 1975, while all four were students at Budapest's Liszt Academy. It first received international attention in 1977, winning First Prize and the Critics' Prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France. Thereafter, the Takács won the Gold Medal at the 1978 Portsmouth and Bordeaux Competitions and First Prizes at the Budapest International String Quartet Competition (1978) and the Bratislava Competition (1981). The quartet made its North American debut tour in 1982.

Since its formation in 1975, the ensemble has appeared regularly in every major music capital and prestigious festival. The quartet -consisting now of violinist Schranz, cellist Fejér, violinist Edward Dusinberre, and violist Roger Tapping-is based in Boulder, Colo., where it has held a residency at the University of Colorado since 1983. The Takács is a resident quartet at the Aspen Festival and its members are also visiting fellows at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

During the 2002 -2003 season, the Takács Quartet will have performed more than 40 concerts in the United States, and toured extensively in Europe. Special projects include a tour with the famed Hungarian gypsy ensemble Muzsikás; several concerts with pianist Garrick Ohlsson; and a Beethoven cycle presented by the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition to its annual residency at the Aspen Festival and a residency at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, worldwide 2002-2003 tour cities include Washington, Miami, Montréal, Honolulu, Ann Arbor, Caramoor, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Urbana, Williamstown, Kansas City, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Zurich, Copenhagen, and Berlin.

In 2001-2002, the Takács toured 15 cities with former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, culminating in a concert at Lincoln Center. Their program of music and poetry was centered around the theme of love.

Recent Takács seasons have included Bartók cycles in London, Madrid and Seville; Schubert cycles in London, Lisbon, Utrecht and Spain; and a Brahms cycle in London. The ensemble has performed Beethoven cycles in Paris, London, Zurich, Sydney, New York, at Middlebury College, and numerous concerts surrounding the Mozart anniversary year in 1991. During the summer of 1993, the Takács gave a cycle of three concerts at the Salzburg Festival featuring the quartets of Bartók and Brahms.

The quartet made its Lincoln Center debut on the Great Performers Series in 1989, and performed six concerts at the Haydn Festival in 1991 with pianist András Schiff at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (repeated in London's Wigmore Hall). The quartet made its Carnegie Hall debut in 1992.

The ensemble's discography ranges from Schubert's Quartet in G Major and his Notturno to quartets by Smetana and Borodin; Haydn's Op. 76, 77 and 103 quartets; the three Brahms quartets and Piano Quintet in F minor with András Schiff; Chausson's Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet with Joshua Bell and Jean-Yves Thibaudet; Mozart's String Quintets, K 515 and 516 with Gÿorgy Pauk, and Schubert's Quartettsatz, Rosamunde, and Death and the Maiden.

Their recording of the Bartók cycle received the Gramophone award for 1998, and in 1999 it was nominated for a Grammy. The ensemble's subsequent recording release for Decca/London, with which it signed an exclusive recording contract in 1988, includes the Schubert Trout Quintet with Andreas Haefliger, piano (Grammy nominee, 2000), and Dvorák's Quartet Op. 51 and Piano Quintet Op. 81, also with Mr. Haefliger. Volume two (early quartets) of the Beethoven cycle will be released in spring 2003, and the final volume of the late quartets is to appear in early 2005.

Following the Takács Quartet's appearance, the 2002-2003 Arts & Issues series concludes with Helen Thomas-a fixture in the White House pressroom for more than 40 years-on April 8. Thomas will offer her "Wit and Wisdom From the Front Row at the White House."

Tickets for the Takács Quartet are $16. For ticket information, call (618) 650-2626, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, ext. 2626; visit the series' Web site at www.siue.edu/ARTS_ISSUES; or e-mail jpeeche@siue.edu. Admission includes free parking in the lot behind Katherine Dunham Hall.

Women "With A-Peel" To Perform Here March 18

Audiences will be going "ape" as SIUE's women's studies program celebrates Women's History Month with the outrageous 'masked avengers' of feminism, the Guerrilla Girls, on Tuesday, March 18, in Dunham Hall theater.

"The Guerrilla Girls will present what they bill as a 'theatrical romp' through their history when they visit SIUE," said Martha Bailey, associate professor of Political Science and coordinator of the university's Women's Studies Program. "They'll be arriving dressed in gorilla masks and throwing bananas to their audience before presenting a history of the group. The 'girls' will demonstrate how they get their ideas for using humor as a weapon to combat discrimination."

The Guerrilla Girls-a group of female artists, writers and performers-originated in 1985 as a response to an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibit was a summary of the most significant contemporary art in the world featuring 169 artists. Only 13 of the artists in the exhibit were women.

The original protests were staged by women visual artists, but by the mid-90s the Guerrilla Girls had expanded to include not only visual artists, but also actors, playwrights, performance artists, costume designers and filmmakers. In 1996, some of the performing artists in the group formed a committee to discuss how they could address the lack of opportunities for women in film and theater. Because creating and displaying their infamous posters had become increasingly difficult for the Girls, and because plays and films were shown inside of theaters, the group decided to create satirical stickers they could paste inside toilet stalls to amuse and provoke an audience.

When the Guerrilla Girls voted in 2001 to split into three wings, the film and theater committee became Guerrilla Girls on Tour, dedicated to bringing the spirit of feminism, activism, and performance around the world. They packed their bags and went on tour with the piece they will be presenting at SIUE-"The Guerrilla Girls' Gig." The performance combines the didacticism of a slide lecture with the rhythms of vaudeville.

"The Guerrilla Girls Gig" at SIUE is free and open to the public; however seating is limited.

George Arnold To Receive Distinguished Service Award

George Arnold, an emeritus associate professor of Environmental Engineering, will receive a Distinguished Service Award at the May 10 commencement, according to action taken last week by the SIU Board of Trustees at its regular monthly meeting.

Arnold is the third person to be honored at the May 10 ceremonies-jazz legend John "Bucky" Pizzarelli, master of the seven-string guitar, and world-renowned genetic biotechnologist Roy Curtiss III already were approved last month by the Board to each receive honorary degrees at spring commencement.

The SIUE Distinguished Service Awards have been presented for 35 years to those who have given outstanding or unusual service to the university, the region, or the state. Honorary degrees have been awarded for nearly 40 years to those who have made significant contributions to cultural, educational, scientific, economic, social, or humanitarian fields, or other worthy fields of endeavor.

Arnold has championed several environmental projects locally and statewide, including two bikeways bills passed by the Illinois General Assembly with the help of the late Sen. Sam Vadalabene and then-Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar. One bill directed the Illinois Department of Transportation to establish a bikeways program, while the second called for the Department of Natural Resources to build the bikeways. The result can be seen in the hundreds of miles of safe and scenic bicycle routes throughout the state.

Arnold is a long-standing member of the 10-state Mississippi River Parkway Commission and was chosen to represent Illinois in the Federal Mississippi River Corridor Study to promote the river's heritage. He was a founder of and is currently past-president of the Madison County Conservation Alliance, devoted to maintaining a clean environment.

Arnold said he is most proud of his work in establishing the new Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center near Hartford. The center, recently completed, was supported by U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello in collaboration with Jim Edgar and then George Ryan, past Illinois governors.

Pizzarelli, who has conducted workshops at SIUE for the university's Jazz Studies Program, has been a legend in the music world for more than half a century. Professor Curtiss and his research group have sought to define the biochemical bases and genetic controls by which bacterial pathogens cause various human ills.

Richter-Addo To Speak March 31 In Probst Lecture

The 27th Annual William J. Probst Memorial Lecture will present George B. Richter-Addo, Presidential Professor of Chemistry at Oklahoma University, at 7 p.m. Monday, March 31, in Meridian Ballroom.

The annual lecture is sponsored by the Department of Chemistry and the SIUE Chemistry Club. Richter-Addo will speak about "Small, Versatile, and Potent: NO and You," regarding the role nitric oxide (NO) plays in the human body. White blood cells secrete NO, which regulates blood pressure and acts as a defense against infection; nerve cells use it to communicate with each other.

"It's one of those molecules that's in the right place at the right time," said Assistant Chemistry Professor Michael Shaw, coordinator of the Probst Lecture. "Nitric oxide can be helpful as it is secreted by the body, but if you inhaled it, it would be deadly. For example, the nose secretes a very small amount of NO that helps dilate the blood vessels of the body, which in turn lowers blood pressure and facilitates good blood flow," Shaw said.

Richter-Addo's research has had relevance to varied biological activities ranging from dilation of blood vessels, erectile dysfunction, the operation of the immune system, and cancer.

In addition to his lecture the evening of March 31, Richter-Addo will conduct a student research symposium at 2 that afternoon, also in Meridian Ballroom. He also will speak to Chemistry faculty about "The Bio-Inorganic Chemistry of Heme-NO Interactions" at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 1, in Room 3114 of the Science Building.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Richter-Addo traveled extensively in pursuit of his education before settling in the United States. He received an Honors bachelor of science and an Education degree in 1982 from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa. The following year he enrolled in graduate school at the University of British Columbia, where he performed research in organometallic nitrosyl chemistry.

Richter-Addo earned a doctorate in 1988 followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Alberta and at the University of Utah. He joined the Chemistry/Biochemistry faculty at Oklahoma in 1993.

The lecture series is funded in part by: the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences, the SIUE Graduate School, the SIUE Department of Chemistry, and student activity fees. The Probst Lecture was established to honor the late Professor William Probst who taught organic chemistry here for nearly 20 years before his death in 1975. The lectures and seminars are free and open to the public. For more information, call the Department of Chemistry. (618) 650-2042.

MSW Program Receives Accreditation From CSWE

The SIUE Master of Social Work Program has been awarded accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The Council is the national accrediting organization for social work educational programs in the United States.

Achievement of accreditation affirms the quality of SIUE's MSW program, said Professor Thomas Regulus, chair of the SIUE Department of Social Work. "The accreditation standards set by the CSWE indicates a level of quality program performance that is recognized nationwide by the higher education community."

Regulus pointed out that graduation from an accredited social work program is a requirement for licensing to practice social work in many states including Illinois and Missouri. "The university's MSW program, implemented in 1997, serves students in both states," Regulus said, "but primarily in the St. Louis and Southwestern Illinois region.

"The Department of Social Work's MSW program sees its active presence in the Southwestern Illinois region as a force for social change and for the development of greater social and economic justice among the region's diverse population," Regulus said. "Within this vision, the MSW program's mission is to preserve, promote, and achieve the social well being of all individuals, families, groups, and communities through the education of competent and ethical advanced social work practitioners.

"Our mission includes strengthening the profession of social work and supporting the social and economic development of Southwestern Illinois through scholarship and public service."

Regulus said approximately 150 social workers have graduated from the program over the past five years. "The Metro-East Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and many social work practitioners and agencies in the Metro East and St. Louis area have been supporters of and instrumental in the development and growth of the program."

The program currently prepares students for practice with children and families, and in health, mental health, and disability services. A school social work certification program is expected to be added to the curriculum in the next academic year. For more information about enrollment in the MSW program, call the SIUE Department of Social Work, (618) 650-5758.

SIUE Campaign Takes Its Game To The SAVVIS Center

SIUE and the St. Louis Blues Hockey team have joined forces to promote literacy throughout the Metro East. On Saturday, March 22, SIUE's "Book In Every Home" early childhood literacy campaign will collect new book donations and cash for the purchase of new books at the Savvis Center during the Blues hockey game.

"We're absolutely thrilled to embark upon this partnership with the St. Louis Blues hockey team," said Kay Werner, chair of the literacy campaign. "Rather than 'bleeding blue,' as the Blues' slogan suggests, we hope that many six-week to five-year-olds in the Metro-East will be 'reading blue' after our campaign."

About 60 "Book In Every Home" volunteers will collect new books and cash donations beginning at 1 p.m. at the Savvis Center entrances as the Blues face their rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, on March 22. The game will begin at 2 p.m. and collections for the books will end after the first period. Each person who donates a new book or cash will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win an official team-signed St. Louis Blues jersey. The winner will be announced that day during the final period of the game.

"Our ultimate goal is to generate excitement about literacy and reading to young children," added Werner. "This partnership with the St. Louis Blues and others in the community reinforces the importance of helping young children develop a passion for reading that will last a lifetime. Think back and remember the pure excitement surrounding a moment in your childhood when you received a new book. We are recreating this feeling for thousands of children in Illinois, many of whom are at-risk."

In addition to the effort with the Blues, SIUE's campaign works hand-in-hand with the St. Louis Rams Foundation to promote literacy in the Metro-East. Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the honorary chairperson for the 2003 campaign.

The "Book In Every Home" campaign officially kicked-off in January and will run through March. Book collection points for the campaign include the SIUE Bookstore, the centers of SIUE Early Childhood, SIUE Head Start, and Riverbend Head Start & Family Services, and more. A complete listing of book drop-off points and additional information is available at the campaign's website, www.siue.edu/BOOKS.

SIUE's "Book In Every Home" campaign began in 1998, and now distributes more than 3,000 age-appropriate books each year to children.

SIUE Hockey Club Are MACHA Silver Tier Champs

The SIUE Cougar Hockey Club won the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) Division II Silver Tier Championship after defeating powerhouse Robert Morris College recently at the East Alton Ice Arena.

It was the same matchup that left the Cougars in defeat during the 2001-02 championships, which led many to worry about "déjà vu all over again" this year, said Coach Larry Thatcher. "From 'worst to first' in a period of six years is quite a feat from any organization," Thatcher said. "This accomplishment is testament to the character and dedication of the players involved."

Thatcher praised the student-athletes who worked hard to build the club since its inception at SIUE in 1996 and then moved on after graduation. He also praised later members for believing in the program even after it had languished for a season, working to re-establish the team for the 1998-99 season.

"These were some character guys who had a tremendous impact on the formation and the success of this club," he said. "I'm happy that the freshmen players were able to get to know the seniors who were leaving, because they were able to experience the veteran presence in the locker room."

Although the team had a losing return season in 2000-01, the players battled back to go to the championships the following season. "The 2001-02 season was a turn around year for the club," Thatcher said. "Building on the foundation set in place the two previous seasons, new players began to arrive and the team got back on track and went 18-9-1 for the year. They finished first but came up short in the championships against Robert Morse College. Beating them to win the championship this year made it that much sweeter."

A ceremony to recognize the hockey Cougars is set for 12:15 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Goshen Lounge of the Morris University Center.

Pianist Ian Hobson Returns To SIUE-Chopin Continues

Renowned concert pianist Ian Hobson will continue his series of recitals at SIUE-performing the complete solo piano works of Frédéric Chopin-at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March 19-20, in Katherine Dunham Hall theater.

The sixth and seventh edition of the nine-recital series is titled 1832-1839: "The Paris Years" and 1839-1841: "Productive Times with Sand at Nohant and Paris." The Chopin series-which concludes April 1-2-is being performed chronologically, following stages in the Polish composer's life and career.

Musicologist Allan Ho, an SIUE professor of Music, said complete works are rarely performed anywhere. "It's an honor for us to have Ian Hobson perform the cycle here," Ho said. The title of the nine-recital series is Frédéric Chopin: Evolution of a Genius.

"Chopin remains one of the most popular composers of all time," Ho said. "Many of his works are famous, yet others seldom heard." The series, which includes more than 200 compositions, traces Chopin's development as a composer. "It includes all of his familiar works, as well as many new discoveries for our listeners," Ho said. "It is a fascinating musical journey."

Called one of the greatest pianists of our time, Hobson's programs consistently demonstrate a repertoire that spans centuries and demands a command of styles and scholarly vision. His recordings and recitals encompass a cross section of works from miniature to mammoth.

A professor of Music at the University of Illinois, Hobson maintains an active performance, conducting, and recording schedule. In recent seasons, Hobson has performed at Wigmore Hall, London, Alice Tully Hall, the "Mostly Mozart Festival" in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Hobson also has performed the Chopin and Moscheles concertos at the Bard Music Festival, and has presented recitals in the United States, England, and Europe, featuring diverse works such as Beethoven's complete sonatas, excerpts from Gershwin's Song Book, Schumann's major piano works, Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit, and Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7, to name a few.

He also has been on the juries of international piano competitions, such as the Van Cliburn, and is known worldwide as a pianist, conductor, and teacher. Hobson has recorded more than 35 compact discs of works, including piano concertos by Mendelssohn, Mozart, Poulenc, and Saint-Saëns, as well as Liszt transcriptions and the complete Beethoven sonatas, Brahms variations, Chopin etudes, Hummel sonatas, and Rachmaninoff preludes, etudes-tableaux, and transcriptions.

Tickets are $7; students and senior citizens, $6. For ticket information, call the SIUE Department of Music, (618) 650-3900.

Softball Once Again Sweeps GLVC Awards

VJ Schmidt (Westmont) was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week, and RyAnn Spann (Bethalto) was named GLVC Pitcher of the Week for the week ending March 23.

It is the second consecutive week the Cougars have swept the awards. SIUE outfielder Jenny Esker (Steeleville) and pitcher Missy Koenig (Mapleton) were the previous selections. Schmidt hit .538 in four games last week. She totaled seven hits that included one home run and two doubles. She scored four runs and posted two RBIs.

"VJ had a great week of play," said Coach Sandy Montgomery. "She played great offensively and played good defense as well."

Spann picked up victories over Southern Indiana and Kentucky Wesleyan last weekend as well as adding a save against USI. Spann, now 8-2 on the season, struck out 15, walked four and allowed six hits and one earned run for a 0.54 ERA. "RyAnn is coming around and doing what she is capable of doing," Montgomery said. "I expect here to get better and better each week."

SIUE, now 15-5 and 4-0 in the GLVC, plays host to Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky on Saturday (3/29) and Sunday (3/30), respectively. Both games are scheduled doubleheaders and will start at noon at Cougar Field.

Keating Named GLVC Baseball Pitcher Of The Week

Brian Keating (St. Louis) has been tabbed the Great Lakes Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week ending March 23.

Keating pitched the eighth no-hitter in SIUE history last Saturday against Wisconsin-Parkside. The junior lefthander allowed just one walk and struck out seven as the Cougars posted the 4-0 victory. "It's not every day that someone throws a no-hitter," said Coach Gary Collins. "There hasn't been many in the history of this program. He threw a great game when we needed a great game thrown."

SIUE, now 10-8 and 3-5 in the GLVC, face Missouri-St. Louis Wednesday (3/26) at Roy Lee Field for a 2 p.m. start.

Cougars Start Season With NKU Invitational

SIUE's women's golf team will tee off in its first spring tournament this weekend at the Northern Kentucky Invitiational.

The tournament, to be held Saturday (3/29) and Sunday (3/30) at Eagle Creek Country Club in Crittenden, Ky., will feature many of the teams in SIUE's region. "The teams we need to beat to improve our position in the region will be there," said Coach Larry Bennett.

The Cougars are coming off a fall season that saw them finish fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. Kacy Grunkemeyer (Salem) was crowned GLVC champion. "This is the first tournament of the season, so we'll get a feel for where we're at," Bennett said. "The girls are going into the weekend with a positive frame of mind, and they know what they need to do."

The Cougars then travel to the Bellarmine Invitational for a tournament next Monday (3/31) and Tuesday (4/1).

Cougars Currently In Second In GLVC All-Sports Standings

After completing the winter season, the Cougars are in second place overall in the Great Lakes Valley Conference's All-Sports Trophy race. The All-Sports Trophy assigns points based on teams' finishes in conference standings and league championship events.

The remaining sports in the spring are men's tennis, men's golf, women's track and field, men's track and field, softball and baseball. Indianapolis currently leads with 75.5 points followed by SIUE with 71.5 points. Southern Indiana is third with 68.5 points.

SIUE has finished among the top four in the All-Sports Trophy race every year since joining the GLVC in 1995. The Cougars won the All-Sports Trophy during the 1997-1998 season.

Cougars 5-7 After Busy Week

After a flurry of games, the SIUE baseball team is sitting at a 5-7 record and a 1-2 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Cougars played seven games last week at the rain-shortened Savannah Invitational, then returned home for three games-two of them conference game-against Northern Kentucky.

SIUE opened the Savannah Invitational with an 8-4 win against Clarion. The Cougars then went on a six-game slide, which included a 4-2 loss to Northern Kentucky in their GLVC opener and a 16-1 defeat to No. 4-ranked Armstrong Atlantic.

SIUE broke out of its slump with an 18-3 victory over Concord. The Cougars exploded for 20 hits and the Cougars' pitching staff held Concord to five hits to secure the victory.

The Cougars split a conference doubleheader on Saturday, then defeated Northern Kentucky on Sunday. "I don't think we are playing to our full capability," said Coach Gary Collins. "David Briesacher (Waterloo) and Ryan Spurgeon (Bethalto) have been

throwing the ball well, and Craig Ohlau (Chester) and Jason Baecht (Jerseyville) have been hitting well. "The top of the order has been solid, but I'd like to see more production from the bottom of our lineup."

The Cougars will be in action again Wednesday when Kentucky Wesleyan comes to town for a GLVC double-header. Game one is scheduled for noon at Roy Lee Field. SIUE will then travel for a weekend series with Wisconsin-Parkside.

Cougar Softball Returns With 11-5 Record

The SIUE softball team returned home from its spring break trip sporting an 11-5 record. The Cougars played their 16 games in only nine days. SIUE, which fell to No. 16 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's NCAA Division II poll, began its trip at the Saint Leo Tournament and opened with a 3-2 extra-inning victory against Nova Southeastern.

In its next game, the Cougars dropped an 8-2 decision to Florida Southern. SIUE then pulled off three consecutive victories before being eliminated from the tournament by Ashland.

The Cougars played to a 7-3 record at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. After falling 7-6 to Lock Haven, SIUE pulled off five-straight victories. SIUE won its final game in Orlando with a 5-1 victory against St. Xavier. "I'm happy with our 11-5 record," said Coach Sandy Montgomery. "We still have work to do, and I'll think we'll get better as we play more games."

Jenny Esker (Steeleville) leads the Cougar offense with a .431 batting average. Missy Koenig (Mapleton) leads the SIUE pitching staff with a 0.95 earned run average and 4-2 record.

SIUE will travel to Central Missouri State University for a double-header on Thursday, starting at 4 p.m. The Cougars edged Central Missouri 4-3 in Orlando. SIUE will then open its conference schedule by playing host to Southern Indiana on Saturday and Kentucky Wesleyan on Sunday. Both will be double-headers and will start at noon at Cougar Field